State Rep. Ernest Wooton announces he will run for Plaquemines Parish sheriff

State Rep. Ernest Wooton has announced that he will run for Plaquemines Parish sheriff in the October election.

File photoRep. Ernest Wooton, I-Belle Chasse

Wooton, who served as sheriff for eight years, is challenging incumbent Jiff Hingle.

Wooton was elected sheriff when he defeated Hingle in 1983 and lost the position to Hingle in 1991. He was first elected to the 105th District seat in the House of Representative in 1999 and was re-elected three times.

Wooton became an independent last year.

"The recent scandals in the sheriff's spending should have been publicly addressed by the sheriff," Wooton said in a news release announcing his candidacy. "His silence is inexcusable and the public shouldn't tolerate his arrogance.

"Allegations of credit-card misuse, no-bid contracts in the millions of dollars, political favoritism and possible fraud have diminished morale among the ranks of the sheriff's office. We have to be able to trust the man who wears the badge or there is no justice. I will restore order and honesty in the sheriff's office, and the spotlight will be on the criminals and not on the sheriff."

Wooton, 69, is married to the former Linda Green. They have two sons and a daughter. He graduated from Port Sulphur High School and attended Louisiana State University and Northwestern State University. Wooton, who lives in Belle Chasse, serves as a public relations specialist in the oil industry.

He is the son of Chester A. Wooton, who was the parish sheriff from 1947 to 1969.